MONTGOMERY, Alabama --- A bill to allow people to carry loaded pistols in their vehicles without having to get a concealed carry permit from the county sheriff won approval today in an Alabama Senate committee.

SB 354 by Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, now moves to the Senate. It would also have to pass the House to become law.

“Number one, I don’t believe you ought to have to pay for your 2nd Amendment rights. That’s just the overall belief that I have,“ Beason
said when asked why the change was important.

The bill approved last year allowed people to carry a pistol in their vehicles without a permit as long as it was unloaded and locked away out of reach of the driver and passengers.

Beason said that because it is legal to have a loaded pistol at home with no permit, that right should extend to your vehicle as part of the "castle doctrine."

"You should be able to have a usable pistol with you in your car, and you ought not have to pay for it," he said.

A permit is required to carry a concealed weapon in Alabama. But state law allows people without a permit to openly carry a holstered or secured gun in public except in businesses and other places where that is prohibited.

Beason said if someone can openly carry a pistol without a permit walking down the street, they should be able to openly carry one in their vehicle without a permit.

The committee approved the bill on a 6-2 vote, with Sens. Linda Coleman of Birmingham and Vivian Figures of Mobile voting against it.